The Sunday Table, Volume 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of The Sunday Table.

This week, I’m sharing one of those colourful, throw-everything-in-a-bowl dinners I’ve been loving lately, what a balanced meal actually looks like, three songs I’ve had on repeat, and the adaptogenic hot chocolate that’s become one of my favourite little evening rituals.

So make yourself something warm, get comfortable, and let’s spend Sunday together.

This is exactly the kind of dinner I love — simple, colourful, nourishing and packed with flavour and hidden veg. Mexican-spiced beef mince onto roasted sweet potato with avocado, cottage cheese and lots of fresh herbs.

Ingredients:

Serves 3

For the beef

• Olive oil

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 500g beef mince

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• Handful of green cabbage, thinly sliced

• 2 zucchinis, grated

• 1 tbsp tomato paste

• ¼ cup chicken stock

• Salt + pepper

For the bowls

• Sweet potato

• Avocado

• Cottage cheese

• Fresh coriander

• Fresh mint

• Lime

• Extra chilli, to serve

• Olive oil

• Salt + pepper

Method:

1. Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, then add the garlic and cook for another minute.

2. Add the beef mince and cook, breaking it apart as you go, until browned.

3. Add the cumin, smoked paprika and ground coriander and stir through until the beef is well coated in the spices.

4. Add the cabbage and grated zucchini and cook for a few minutes until softened.

5. Stir through the tomato paste, then pour in the chicken stock. Season generously with salt and pepper and let everything cook down until the beef is rich, saucy and full of flavour.

6. Add roasted sweet potato to your bowls, followed by the Mexican-spiced beef, avocado and a generous spoonful of cottage cheese.

7. Finish with plenty of fresh coriander and mint, a squeeze of lime and chilli if you like a little heat.

One of those easy, nourishing dinners that has a little bit of everything — protein, plenty of veg, healthy fats and carbs, but most importantly, so much flavour.

What does a balanced meal actually look like?

A simple way I like to think about building a meal is to include a source of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, fibre and plenty of colour. Take this week’s recipe — the beef and cottage cheese provide protein, sweet potato gives us carbohydrates and fibre, avocado adds healthy fats, and the herbs, lime and vegetables bring extra micronutrients and plant diversity.

This combination matters because protein and fats help with satiety, while carbohydrates are our body’s preferred source of energy. Pairing them with fibre also helps slow digestion, giving you a meal that feels satisfying and provides more sustained energy.

Rather than focusing on cutting things out, I’m much more interested in asking: what can I add to this meal to make it more nourishing? Sometimes it really can be that simple!

I first discovered Social Alchemy’s Adaptogenic Hot Chocolate in Byron Bay and fell in love with it straight away. It’s made with organic cacao, reishi, chaga, ashwagandha and maca — a blend of adaptogens, functional mushrooms and herbs traditionally used to support the body through stress, while cacao contains theobromine, which can provide a gentler source of energy than your usual caffeine hit.

I also love the ritual behind it. It comes with a little symbol card and quote to encourage you to slow down, be present and actually enjoy the process of making your cup. I make mine with warm frothed milk and take a few minutes to sit and enjoy it — such a small thing, but one of my favourite ways to slow down at the end of the day.

Thanks for pulling up a chair at my table.

I hope you have a beautiful week ahead, and I’ll see you back here next Sunday.

Love, Claudia xx